September 27, 2012

It has been said “As California goes, so goes the Nation”. This is true. America is on a financial cliff while California is heading toward a financial train wreck. California is 24 billion dollars in debt. Yet, California is going to spend about $70 billion more on a bullet train that no one will use. California and America should be encouraging business to raise revenue, putting people to work; using that money to balance its budget and pay bills while cutting wasteful spending.

We are in grave danger and one natural disaster away from bankruptcy as a state. For example, we live in earthquake country. Yet, many have lived comfortably for years, not feeling a single shake; but recent studies have shown that a 6.5 earthquake in the delta region of California will destroy the levees, causing a back fill of salt water from the San Francisco Bay into our levees. This will not only destroy the farm land and food supply; but contaminating half of California’s water supply. The effect on California and the nation will be devastating. The delta should be repaired and California needs to sustain a surplus of billions to survive such a major catastrophe in our state. This does not include the billions of dollars worth of infrastructure damage that would occur throughout the state.

Instead, we as a broke state are willing to become more in debt placing ourselves into financial ruin. Legislators are now trying to raise taxes, which ultimately forces more business out of the state, forcing more people on government assistance, which ultimately forces more debt in a troubled state.

We don’t have to release state prisoners, push government health care, cut Medi-Cal for the poor, or slash education. We just have to limit government intrusion on the people and business and make smart decision, such as eliminating a train to nowhere.

The working class is leaving California to less intrusive government states at the same time a surging number of legal and illegal immigrants call California home. Many of whom are leaching on the governmental services in California. California has become a state of big government, open borders, diversity, multiculturalism and Democrat controlled politics.

Likewise, President Obama is leading America toward its own financial train wreck with an expansion of government control, including ObamaCare, and an additional five trillion dollars of new debt, which has caused the first credit down grade of our government in history.

Many Californians are leaving to other states to avoid this financial train wreck caused by taxation and an intrusive and unwise state government. However, where will Americans run to when America become as California? “As California goes (broke), so goes the Nation”.

Frank Aquila is a Manteca resident and president of the South San Joaquin Republicans and also a 2008 McCain chairman and author of the book, “Sarah Palin Out of Nowhere”. He can be emailed at mantecarepublicans@yahoo.com

September 15, 2012

According to the British newspaper The Independent, the U.S. State Department had credible information of the attack on our embassy in Lybia at least 48 hours before it took place. However, even with that warning and with the anniversary of September 11, there was no instruction for diplomats to be on alert. The result of Obama’s lack of focus is the murder of the American ambassador in Libya, attacks against the US embassy in Cairo, the burning of the American flags throughout the Arab region, and the torching of American businesses in Lebanon. Obama response has been weaken our military, slashing our defense, which has placed our military in danger. The U.S. Marines sent to defend the American embassy in Egypt were not even permitted to carry live ammunition according to multiple reports of U.S. Marine Corps blogs stating that Ambassador Anne Patterson “neutralized any U.S. military capability that was dedicated to preserve her life and protect the US Embassy.’” While the media has tried to portray a “You Tube” video as a reason for the violence, they cover up the coordinated terrorist attack in line with the anniversary of September 11, 2001. Obama not only dropped the ball. He has assisted the advancement of the Muslim Brotherhood’s power in the Middle East. Still, these extremists hate America even with our 1.5 billion dollars of tax funded aid we provide them this year. Obama has turned a blind eye to the crisis in the Middle East. His chair is empty once again, focusing on his reelection, fund raising in Las Vegas, and going on the David Letterman show rather than meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu or paying attention to our National Security warnings.